Railroad-crossing.



No. 837,371. PATENTEDDEG. 4, 1906. R. A. ABBOTT.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED 00111, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

No. 837,371. PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

V R. A; ABBOTT.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED 001211, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 7 IIIHJI Wllillllllllll EIJ NH "ll 57 07 fiii. [WEN A TTORNE VS UNITED sTATBs PATENT OFFICE. ROBERT A A BO T, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.-

No. 837,371. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed October 11,1906, Serial No. 338,462.

and useful Railroad-Crossing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad-crossings, and is designed for use at the points of intersection of the rails, so as to prevent pounding" by car-wheels passing thereover in any direction. 1

Heretofore in the construction of railroad crossings it has been customary to space the rails apart at the crossing-points, so as to allow the wheel-flanges to pass between them. As a result of this arrangement the wheels pound to a considerable extent while passing thereover and are often. injured.

The object of the resent invention is to provide a simple bri ge attachment ateach point of intersection, the same being operated automatically by-a car approaching from eitherdirection.

Another object 1s to provide a lock for securing each bridge attachment the posi: tion to which it may be adjusted.

A still further object is to rovide a bridge attachment which will easi y operate and which will not be interfered with by the admission of water, &c. to the interior of the mechanism.

With the above and other objects view the invention consists of certain novel fea-v tures of construction and combinations of parts,- which will be hereinafter moresfully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawin s, Figure 1 is a plan view of a crossing embo ying the present improvements. "Fig. 2 is a bottom view of one of the bridges and showing the operating mechanism, one of the latch-casings being shown-in section. Fig. 3 is a section through the bridge and showing the operating mechanism in elevation. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the base-plate of the bridge, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the draw-bars.

Referring to the figures by characters of 1 reference, 1 is a bridge block or body, preferably rectangular in form, having a circular recess 2 in the center ofthe top thereof, the I bottom of said recess being ste pod, as shown for a plurality of balls 5. A circulargroove 6 right all es to each other, both of these grooves eing intersected by therecess' 2. Rail-sections 11 and 12v extend at right an-. gles from-the body 1, and the grooves of these rails register with the grooves 9 and 10 An opening 13 is formed in thebottom of each groove in the rails 11 and 12, and mounted within said openin s is the head 14-of a plunger 15, which is slidably mounted within a groove 16. Theends of the head are beveled, as at 17 A lever 18 is fulcrumed,as at ing 13, and" a weight 20 isconnected to one end of this lever, while the other end is fastened by a pivot-pin 21 with the plunger 15. An arm 22 is rigidly connectedto and extends downward from lever 18 and has a 23 extending from the end thereof:

is a stem24, having a stepped head 2-5,wh1ch fits snugly within the circular opening 2 and bears upon the series of balls'therein. This head constitutes theb'rid e proper and has a groove 26 therein adapte to ,sWi into register with the groove in either mi 11 or 12.

Short alining grooves 27, extend into the head from' the periphery thereofand at right angles. to the grooves 26-and are adapted to register withthe groove in the rail outof pin.

. '89 Rotatably mounted within the open ng/8 19, upon the rail under and close tothe openregister with groove 26. The inner ends .of i

the grooves 27 are inclined, as shown particularly in Fig. 3 ,.'so that should a Wheel-flange inadvertently pass into said groove, as when the device should for some reason not work,

said wheel will be deflected upward and over the groove without becoming derailed. It is to be understood that this construction is only provided for an emergency, which will rarely, if ever, occur. a

The lower end of the stem 24 is angular vand'iits withinthe center of a base-plate 28,

which is partly surrounded by a curved flangle 29, extending downward in the body 1. hisflange has two notches 30 and 31 formed in its inner face and out of horizontal ICC alinement, and sto s 32 extend from the 'pe- I riphery of said p ate and are adapted to contact with the ends'of flange 29, so as to cause the head 25 to stop as soon as the groove 26 is brought into register with the engaged by each latch. The notches and latches, are so disposed that whenever the groove 26 registers with a rail groove one of .as indicated in F the latches will spring into a notch and lock the head'25 against rotation. Each latch 34 has a hooked head 35, which is for the purpose hereinafter set forth. I

Extending downward from theplate 28 at about forty-five degrees from each other are wrist-pins 36, each of which is engaged by one end of a draw-bar 37. These draw-bars extend under the rails 11 and 12 and have longitudinal slots 38 therein, throu h which the pins 23 pro'ect. Extending omthe pivoted ends of t etdraw-ba'rs 37 are hooked arms 39, which are adapted to successively engage the hooked heads 35. The parts are so arranged that when the groove 26 registers with the groove inrail 1 1 the draw-bar 37 under the rail 12engag'es one of the heads 35. With the parts in the positionsshown in Figs. 1' and 2 it will be understood that a car traveling on rail 11 can pass over the bridge without olting. As the wheels pass over the head 14 no result will be obtained,because, as shown in. Fig. 2, the pin 23 can travel backward within the slot 38 without pulling the draw-bar. If, however, a car approaches the crossing over the rail 12, the flange of the? car-wheel will push downward on head 14, raise the weight 20, and swing arm 22 backward, so as to pull on draw-bar 37. The latch 34 will be prom tly withdrawn from its notch, there being an c1ent play at the pivot 36 to allow this result, and the plate 28'will then be turned forty-five degrees, bringin the other latch 34 into locking position an with its head 35 in engagement with the arm 39 of the other draw-bar, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The head 25 will of course be turned with the plate 28 and groove 26 will be brought into register with the groove in rail 12. As soon as the wheel passes over the mal position, while the hooked arm 39 there. of Wlll remain in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The downward movement of the head 14is limited by a stop 40.

It will belunderstood that the mechanism herein described onl relates to one bridge, and where a plurality of bridges are em ployed each wil have its individual actuatmg mechanism, such as herein described and It will be note that if for any reason the weight 20 should not return the head 14 to, its raised position after the wheel passes over itthe car coming in the opposite direction will operate the mechanism so as to promptly raise said head.

but I do hot-limit myself thereto, as I amawarethatmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairl fall Within the scope of the claims.

at is claimed is y 1. A railroad-crossing comprising angularly-disposed rails, a' rotatable bridge-piece interposed between the rails and having a flange-receiving groove adapted to register with either rail, means for locking the bridgepiece against movement, and means operated by a wneel passing over one of the rails for' unlocking and partly rotating the bridgepiece. 3 3

.2. A railroad-crossing comprising angularly-disposed rails, a rotatable bridge-piece interposed between the rails and having a flange-receiving groove adapted to register with either rail, means for locking the bridgepiece against movement, and depressible means upon each rail for successively unlocking and partly rotating the bridge-piece.

3. A railroad-crossing comprising angularly-disposed rails,'a rotatable bridgepiece interposed between the rails and having a flange-receiving groove adapted to register with either rail, means for locking the bridgepiece, against movement, depressible means upon each rail for successively unlocking and artly rotating the bridge-piece, means for holding said depressible means normally raised, and means for limiting the movement of the bridge-piece.

4. A. rallroad-crossing comprising angu 5;: A railroad-crossing comprismg angu-' larly-disposed rails, a rotatable bridge-piece interposed between the rails and having a flangereceiving groove adapted to register with either rail, friction-reducing bearings for the bridge-piece, a drain below the bridgepiece to prevent the admission of moisture to the bearings, means for locking the bridgepiece against movement, depressible means upon each rail for successively unlocking and partly rotating the bridge-piece.

6. A railroad -crossin comprising angularly-disposed rails, a bri ge-piece interposed,

therebetween and adapted to partly rotate, said bridge-piece havlng a flange-receiving groove adapted to register with either rail, a base rotatable with the bridge-piece, drawbars pivotally connected thereto and extending under the rails, and depressible actuating devices upon the rails and engaging the bars for enga g the latches, and de ressible draw-bars. means upont e rails for actuating t e draw- 7. A railroad-crossing comprising angubars. larly-disposed rai1s,'a bridge-piece interposed In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 5 therebetween and adapted to partly rotate, my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in said bridlge-pigce havlng a figngeifeceivfling the presence of two witnesses.

roove a a te to re ister wit eit er ra' a %ase mova 1e with t e bridgepiece, latches ROBERT ABBOTT thereon for holding the base-plate against Witnesses: 1o movement, draw-bars pivotally and slidably H. G. VAN COURT,

engaging the base-plate, arms upon the draw- R. F. CHANNELL. 

